Tire-protector.



I. H. DAVIS.

TIRE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.2, 1907.

926, l Ofi, Patented June 29, 1909.

. following is a full, clear. concise.` and exact isolid, metallic armor covering at point of FRAN li H. DAVIS, Ol" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIRE-PROTECTOR.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application filed December 2, 1907. Serial No. 404,803.

To all-.whom it imifylconcern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK H. Davis, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Chicago, in the county ot' Cook and tat-e ot' Illinois, have invented new and useful luiprovcnients in Tire-Protectors. of which the description. reference being; had to the accompanying drawing. forming a, part oi this specitication. i

Mv invention relates to tire-protectors such as are used on pneumatic or other resilient tires. and has special reference to iniprovements in that class of tire-protectors by the use of whichthe tire is inclosed within a metallic shield or armor having` suiiicient lflexibilitY to permit the tire to yield withoutk hindrance to pressure to the extent required in service.

The other objects ot the invention are: to provide a tireprotector ot the above outlined :type having improved means for removing the strain from the rubber or other material or' which the tires are composed. thereby, preventing' bursting' of the tires at the rim or elsewhere; to prevent the tire coming in contact with the street. and there by wearing oil' its outer surface; to furnish a Contact with the street. thereby prevei'iting injury to the rubber such as puncturing, cut ting', Stone-bruises and the like; to provide a surface of metal coveringV in contact with the street. of such shape as to prevent skidding oi' slipping, and give betterl 'rac-tion; and to provide means for securely attachingi the armor in place without injury to the tire.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved nieaiis for securing the treadplates in place, hv the use of which these plates are securel)v held without chating or otherwise injuring the tire.

l have shown a tire-protector embodying the features oit' my invention in the accompanying drawingsl in which-- Figure l is a perspective view ot apoition of the rim of a wheel, with a tire mounted i thereon and provided with my ii'nproved tire-protector; Fig. Q is a cross-sectional view 1 of the saine; and Fig. 3 is a loiinjitiulinal .sectional view of the tread-plate taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. l

In these drawings. 1 is the rim ot' the] wheel, around which extends the. tire, l

.shown/herein as of the inflatable type, 2 be ing the casing and 3 being,` the inner tube f .rings (i and plates T.

thereoi". Arranged consecutively around the outside -ot the tire, and prclcrablv slightliv spaced apart, is a series` ot' treadplates 11. each ot' which consists ot' a incl-allie member curved transversely to the tire and eivtcnding partly around the saine. lach of these plates has a pair ot hook members 5 formed in1egral therewith on each side ol the tire., and to cach o't` these hooks is secured a chain con-'- sisting or' interlocking rings G and plates T. The opposite end ot' cach chain is engaged over a suitable hook S lornicd on a curved retaining;n strip e \"i'en lin around the wheel. Thi.`l strip El is :toi-ined with an outturned edge l() which hooks under the in turned edpje ll ot the rini ot' the wheel.

llcrctoforc, as devices ot this tvpc have been ci'iiistructed. the tread plates. as well as the chains or other means cuiplovcd for securing' the tread platesl in position. have iieuallv been ot' such torni as to pres-cnt upon their iniier siiiitacwl corners or edges which chaiied. wore and cui" the lire. ln thc forni ot' tread-platewhich I cniplov. as well as in the 4forni ot' chain which l ilse to secure the tread-plate iii place. thiF; ditliculty is not present. The tread-plates l are formed with their adjacent edges 12 turned outwardly or awa)Y from the tire. this construction result in c' in i'lic elimination ot' sharp edges exlendingl acrossI the tire. which would. il present. be destructive ot the niateriil otl which resilient tiresl are made. These ontturned edges add niateriall'iv to the tractive citect of the plates upon the roadway. To t'iirthcr increase the tractive effect l torni upon the plates transverse ribs 13. I`o prevcnt lateral slipping;- or skidding l have brought up the nietal in hollow pyramids ll that not only are etllective when new and sharp, but as the points wear down forni craters, or sharp ring edges of projected nietal that are equally etlcctive for this purpose.

The forni of chain which I employ consists, as hereinbet'ore stated. of interlocked These ringsl are rectangular in forni and alternate with the plates T, cach ot the latter having its ends l5 hooked aud passed outwardly through the adjacent ring', these ends being then lbcnt over toward each other, as clearly .shown in the figures of the drawings. 'Ihis construction eliminates all corners or edges likely to ei'l'ect inpiry to the material ot the tiro. ',Ihe end lnks ot' the chains arc. rings,

one of which is passed onto one of the hooks 5 of a tread-plate, the other being secured to one of the hooks 8 of the strip form of chain affords a securing means which is adaptedto permit the tread-plates to move toward and away from the rim ot latter is running, thereby wearing the at taehing chain unevenly to one side or twistino it off altogether. overcome this dithculty by means of the suction air chambers within the pyramids 14. These air chambers extend outward from the inner side of the ,tread-plates, or the suface of the treadplate'that comes next the tire. By the pres sure of the heavy car the air is expelled from these chambers and the rubber is forced intol the chambers.

rubber tire with absolute security, and it also forces up knots of rubber into the chambers that prevent the slipping of the armor on the tire under the influence of the Y applied force of the, engine of the car in its tractive effort. The tread-plates being each h'eld in place by twobr more chains, rocking of the plates is prevented. These plates are elongated so as to be substantially or nearly in engagement with each other; this feature also preventing rocking r of the plates. i

Having lthus, described my invention, what l claim as new and desire .to secure by Letters Patent/is:

l. The combination with a wheel rim and tire, of a tire armor comprising a plurality of tread-plates, a pair of continuous retaining members arranged to be interposed between the tire'and the rim, each having an 9. This site endsv Atmospheric pressure thus holds the armor plate to the outturnedportion arranged. to engage under the bead .of the rim'and a plurality of outturned hooks arranged to project above the rim, and fexible means for connecting said tread-plates with saidhooks.

' 2. The combination with a wheel rim and tire, of a series of tread-plates arranged upon the periphery' of the tire, and means for .yieldably connecting said tread-: plate with said rim, said means, comprising a' chain composed of alternating rings and plates,

bent away from -the tire and through the adjacent ring.

3. The combination of rim, a series of tread-plates arranged upon the periphery of the tire, for holding said tread-plates to the rim, said means consisting'of a 4chain comprising interlinked plates and rings, said plates having their ends bent away from the tire to form hooks interlined with the adjacent rings.

4. The combination with a wheel rim and tire, of a series of' tread-plates arranged upon a periphery of the tire, a pair of continuous retaining members zarranged to be interposed between the tire and the rim, each having an outturned continuous ange arranged to engage under -the bead of the rim' and a plurality of outturned hooks arranged exteriorly of said rim, and A means for yieldingly' connecting the tread-plates with the hooks of said retaining members comprising a chain composedI of alternating rings an plates, each of said plates having its opposite ends bent away fromv the' tire and through the adjacent ring.

ln. witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

, FRANK H. DAVIS. l/Vitnesses I. N. L. HARRAR, y C. L. HOPKINS.

each of said plates 'having its oppo' a tire and wheel and exible means4 

